Myths About Abortion

Everyone thinks they know about abortions. Quite frankly, abortion is an often discussed topic, whether as part of the school science syllabus or as gossip at parties. However, this concept has many myths associated with it. These myths have been born out of hearsay or through old wives' tales. There is absolutely no scientific reason to support these myths. Moreover these myths seem to be harming the women who get an abortion, and also the society at large. Abortion has a stigma attached to it as well. Here are some of the most popular myths that cause confusion among the people:

1. Abortions cause pain for the foetus.

Many people quote moral reasons for not getting an abortion. Their reason for the same is that abortion will hurt the foetus (actually called the embryo in the initial stages - but referred to as foetus in this article for sake of uniformity and clarity). But the truth is that science has shown that in the first trimester and the second trimester, there is no concept of 'hurt' yet. The foetus has not yet formed into the beginnings of a human being that it will begin to feel hurt. It is simply material that will in time form into a human. Therefore there is no 'pain' caused to the foetus. To put it in layman's language, in the first two trimesters, the foetus is not yet capable of feeling as it is not a human being.

2. Abortion is a very dangerous procedure.

This is another myth spread by popular fiction like movies and novels. It is not true that abortion is a dangerous procedure. In fact if truth be told giving birth is more dangerous than getting a foetus aborted. If carried out by a qualified medical professional in the proper manner, abortion is not life threatening or extremely dangerous at all. It is one of the safest surgical procedures. Risk of major complications, too, is only around two percent.

3. If a woman doesn't want a child, why didn't she use protection or contraceptives in the first place?

Protection or contraceptives are never one hundred percent guaranteed. It is clearly mentioned on packets of condoms, for example, that hundred percent surety cannot be guaranteed. Also sometimes contraceptives may fail too. In such a case it is better to get abortion done than to bring an unwanted child into the world.